We are told in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” How does God want you to live with Him and in relationships others? Once you become a Christian, what does God require of you?

As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are not guaranteed a life without problems, an easy life. We will face mountains at times, hardships, health problems, difficulties and trials throughout our lives. What do we do when dealing with what appears to be an impossible problem or obstacle. Do we quit? Do we give up? Do we panic? The Lord tells us, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you,” (Matthew 17:20).

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is 1 Samuel 30:6, “But David encouraged himself in the Lord.” In his moment of discouragement, in his moment of distress, this young king turned to his God for encouragement.

We are told in 1 Peter 1:5, “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Do you trust the Lord to be your safety and security? Do you keep your eyes on the increasing political turmoil, the country’s increasing debt, the spiritual decay among our people, or the constant danger in the world? God told us, “I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6).

Your thinking process shapes and controls your attitudes. Your attitudes are a composition of your total thoughts. 

Proverbs 23:79 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” 

Our attitudes lead to our actions, so we must monitor them closely.

The thought is the father of the deed. Before you act, the event must cross your mind. The achievements of your life are based upon the total of your thoughts. 

This past Sunday, Sue and I were at home in Chattanooga and were able to enjoy communion service at Hickory Valley Baptist Church with Pastor David Kemp and his congregation. It was a wonderful blessing to us and prompted this article.

We are told in Luke 22:19 to remember Jesus. “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’” 

Laughter is an amazing ability that God gave us all. Laughing helps us cope with sadness and the pressures of life. A new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses to help her class. She started the class by saying, “Everyone who thinks you are stupid, please stand up!” After a few seconds, little Johnny stood up. The teacher asked, “Do you think you are stupid, Johnny?” “No ma’am, but I hate to see you standing up all by yourself!”

One of the greatest tools we have to help people is the tool of encouragement. We are told in I Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another an build one another up, just as you are doing.” Jonas Sulk, the great scientist and the discoverer of the vaccine against polio, was taught the principle of encouragement. He was once asked, “How does this amazing discovery which has literally brought an end to the word polio in our world vocabulary, cause you to evaluate your previous 200 failures?” His response was, “I never failed 200 times in my life. My family did not think in terms of failure. “They taught in terms of experiences and what could be learned. I just made my 201st discovery as the cure for polio. “I could not have accomplished it without learning from the 200 previous experiences.” 

In a world that grows more unsettled each day, you may sometimes feel like throwing up your hands in despair. But may I remind you that God’s people have been here before. And God has always had a plan for His people.

Back in the 1980s, Louise Bernikow wrote a book by the title Alone in America. She describes a growing loneliness in our society to a variety of factors, including our heavy work schedule, our dependence on technology, and a focus on self. In our loneliness, the only friendships many people have are developed on television, Facebook, and other non-personal areas.